The ceasefire in Syria has been shaken but remains in place.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on February 29 that while the ceasefire in Syria had been shaken, it was largely still being maintained.

Speaking to reporters in Geneva, Switzerland, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon confirmed that he had received a letter from the High Negotiation Committee – representing the Syrian opposition – accusing the Syrian government and its backers, Russia and Iran, of violating the ceasefire agreement. The letter also called on the United Nations to specify the territories where the ceasefire would apply to prevent further hostilities.

Syrian children were able to play in the streets after the ceasefire came into effect. Photo: Reuters

Meanwhile, the Syrian Foreign Ministry also accused Saudi Arabia of continuing to incite opposition factions within the country by repeatedly demanding that President Bashar al-Assad have no place in Syrian politics in the future.

The current ceasefire aims to create a favorable atmosphere for the Syrian government and opposition to return to peace talks in Geneva next week. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed hope that the ceasefire could last longer than the originally planned two weeks.

The United Nations also plans to take advantage of the ceasefire to quickly deploy humanitarian aid to approximately 154,000 people living in besieged areas within the next five days. This aid includes food, water, medicine, hygiene supplies, and more.

According to VOV